04.01.08

With 266,000 people, and 100,000 more to come in 2008, the Nepalese in Qatar are about to become the first foreign community in this tiny Gulf country. They are also the first concentration of Nepalese outside Nepal and India. As soon as one steps off the plane from Kathmandu at Doha airport, one is struck by a certain kind of familiarity with the airport staff. The visitor to Qatar wonders at the number of young men speaking khas kura or wearing “Nepal” branded caps. In the streets of Doha, in shops, in shopping malls, in offices, in restaurants, on building sites, the Nepalese toil to earn their living and help their family at home.

Workers arrive in Doha wearing manpower agency caps.

Thanks to it boasting the second gas reserve in the world, Qatar is a fast growing economy which needs low skilled workers. All unqualified jobs are done by foreigners, and especially by the Nepalese, who, nowadays, are the most sought after compared to Indians or other nationalities. The Nepalese’s reputation is excellent: they are said to be hardworking, honest, cheap and not prone to complaining. Unfortunately, this means that the Nepalese are an easy target for con men, be the Dalals from Nepal or employers in Qatar.

Photo: After breaking both legs at work this young boy has been staying in his room for two months, living thanks to the help of his friends.

It is non uncommon to meet desperate workers who have not been paid for months or who have been abandoned by their company after being injured at work. It also means that their basic salary is lower than that of other nationalities. However, the more educated Nepalese complain that the Nepalese image is too much associated with that of an unskilled worker. Nonetheless, the number of qualified Nepalese rises every year: there are about 100 executives from Nepal in Qatar.

Unskilled workers are usually put up in labour camps that is buildings rented by their company. The biggest concentration of labour camps is the Industrial Area, near Doha. Hundreds of thousands of men live there in camps where living conditions largely depend on the care the company takes of its workers. Some camps are well maintained, and even provide table tennis and snooker facilities. But the majority of them are overcrowded (up to 16 men to a room with three tiered bunk-beds), sometimes dirty and not suitable for men spending years abroad.

Cleaners in the up-market Al Khor Community.

Life in a camp is monotonous. Everyday except for Fridays, workers are taken to their work site by company buses. For lunch, tiffin boxes filled with Dal Bhat are provided. At the end of the afternoon, when the workers come back to their camp, some of them begin their second job, called part time, which consists in being a servantin private houses. At night, after another plate of Dal Bhat, it is time to play cards or watch the latest Nepalese movie. These days Muglan is the favourite one. Friday is the only day when workers have time off. Some wash their clothes and rest all day. Others go to Doha. The favourite destination is Nepali Chowk, a temporary place created by the Nepalese in the centre of Doha. Here, thousands of men gather, meet their relatives or villagers, have tea and buy the latest Nepalese movie or songs. Homesick men can also buy Nepalese Paan, Khukhuri cigarettes and “Top of the world” T-shirts. The atmosphere is like that of Ason Tole during the rush hour, be it for the total lack of women and temples… From the Nepali Chowk, many workers head for one of the six Nepalese restaurants where Momo, Dal Bhat and Sukuti are to be found. A sense of familiarity and of being together is important for those who struggle in a foreign land, away from home and family.

Runnig an internet café and enabling workers to call home on low rates. Selling Kantipur as a part time job.

Waiters in a Chicha (Qatari type hooka) bar. Bhim and friends at the Tourist Hotel.

At Mehaman with Kandel brothers. To eat the best Momo in town go to Sagarmatha restaurant.

it is really great that our nepalese brother are working hard for their family but it is very sad that they are underpaid. you know our country’s manpower negotiater just think about themselves only and the money that they are getting from these people but they do not care about our poor brother nepalese. if the man power tries little hard, i think qatar government can negotiate the price and our brothers may be paid little bit better.

1. Either the Government of Nepal (GoN) should send Nepalese workers themselves or they should fix a nominal amount for the man power agency, and there should be controlling mechanism.
2. Nepalese Embassy should increase their pressure level.

God Blace you!!
Thank you to Falano publisher to published the photos that will be helpfull who don’t know about life of workers in gulf countries. I hope you will publish again more again.

Here is more critical condition of the most construction worker because lots of nepali workers are working outside temp. will be 50-55cls + 99% hummidity 24 hour in the summer time, thery paid only for food that QR.500/month. Some company, they have to work 10-12hr work as normal pay, didn’t pay on time, didn’t pay or get as of the contract, living in many people in the small room without A/C in the some company . Mostly who working on helper they can’t eat evan warm nepali dal bhat because now a days, all commodities prices is going hike 50 to 100% so if they eat notmal food the balance will be ZERO in the month. So suggest to the all nepali brothers if you coming to work in the overseas ( gulf), Never come in labour or helper work baecause you never save money, only you will clear you loan which you paid to manpower agent, within 2 years in your contract that without dal bhat.
So, dear nepali brothers , be carefull with others, Don’t belive to third person and lern about the detail fefore deccide to go overseas work. Take care your self.

Once again thank to the phalano to publish more and more pictures of other gulf contries also.

it was a great job done by falano.com thanks a lots……..i really appericate those people who works hard and currently working in qatar it is really significint contribution i wish all best to you all.
kiran gurung
kanuhura

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the authors who have shared this picture story with us about our brother in Doha.
No matter where you are, away from home is always difficult and is full of misery. But the smile on the faces of my brothers tell me that they are happy to have a plate of rice and dhal for them and their family at home. They are making a significant contribution not only to sustain their family but also the country’s poor economy.
I hope with the new government in nepal and now as it declared a republic we will not have to see our brothers and sister apart from the country. Even if they have to, I hope the new government takes stringent measures against those unreliable manpower that send our father, son, brothers to such a misery without prior notice of the situation there. Those who are there have borrowed money, sold their properties to make it there, but frequently cheated and tricked by the evil manpowers. Hope the government of qatar recognizes the honesty, and hard working spirit of the nepalese people and make some changes towards it too and non the less both the governments have to reach a bilateral commitment towards improving it.

In these photos everybody looks like having fun and going for a picnic. It doesn’t seem that anybody is sad or worried. They all have a smile on their face. One gentleman has a broken leg. Only that upset me. Yes work is always hard anywhere. Probably they can’t get a good salary like people who work in Britain, japan, Europe or America so what they have an enough income to look after their family and pay the debt and lift a burden in the country. They don’t have to borrow hefty money to put the bond on like going to other countries. It would be good if the jobs organisations can provide some information about tools and job saftey intructions in a video or DVD to give a rough idea about what type of job these people are going for.

Thank you for the great shots of our Nepalese brother’s and sister’s hard earning life. After seeing it I really feel very proud to be A Nepali. Thank you once again.
Junil Lama
Assumption Universty, Bangkok Thailand ( Music performance.)

Hi Thi is prakash with you. In this segments you have included only the conditions of neplease workers in quatar it would be more helpful if u include the precuations they should apply before coming to any foreign country.
Finally thanks a lot helping to indroduce nepalese and nepali neople to other nationalities through this web site

Really Qatar is like a mini-Nepal.All is in one garland,its not matter from Terai and Pahad.”Bitter but Fact is that:Person who wants to be social-worker is a main cause to keep Nepalise in trouble. They earn 1ooo QR by cheating and pretend to be socialist by giving 50 QR as donation.

Nice to see this page.. its nice that it is trying to describe a little how about the neplease here in qatar.

MOMO here in alkhore is good taste hai.. we been there and nepal ko jhajhalko matencha.. hehheheeh…. we are around 25 neplease working in qatat pertoleum from spie oil and gas service middle east… and just enjoying here…

Nice to see this page.. its nice that it is trying to describe a little how about the neplease here in qatar.

MOMO here in alkhore is good taste hai.. we been there and nepal ko jhajhalko matencha.. hehheheeh…. we are around 25 neplease working in qatat pertoleum from spie oil and gas service middle east… and just enjoying here…

hi!bro
mohan,suren how r u at doha?and all nepali dai,bhai ma mero namaskar.
only country is diffirent because anywhere nepali work like this la.do’t b said people this is better than stay in nepal.isn’t it ?

Thank you for the posting photos of overseas( gulf) worker’s daily life. Most of nepali people could not eat Daal bhat twice a day because of to save money. In the Qatar, bood is very very expensive within year but salary is same as 10 years ago. In the gulf, nepali workers are getting lowest pay then other contries workers. But, our government didn’t care about it. May your phots are support to the public, how will be the gulf life who don’t know about the nepali workers in the gulf country. In the qatar, most of low scale salary workers are depend on KHABUS( sukhaa rotee) which is available in QR.1.00 for 7 pcs. Otherrwise they can’t save money.

THIS I S NOTICE FOR NEPALI UNSKILL WORKERS:
DO NOT COME TO GULF WITHOUT ANY SKILL THAT WILL BE LABOR/HELPER WHO WILL GET SALARY 450.00 to 600.00, working hour will be 8 hr to 10/12 hr its depanding on company. U WILL GET ‘OT’ IF COMPANY IS REPUTED OR ORGENIZED. THE ABOVE SALARY WILL NOT ENOUGH TO EAT DAAL BHAAT TWO TIME, KHAJA, SOME TIME SOFT DRINK, CONTACT TO HOME AND OTHER GENERAL ITEMS TO LIVE. THE CLIMATE IS VERY VERY TUFF DO NOT EMAGINE IN THE SUMMER 6 MONTH OF THE YEAR.
SO BE CARE FULL WITH BROKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
U WILL BE DIE ALIVE IN THE GULF IF BELIVE TO THE WRONG PERSON AND COMPANY.
SO DO NOT HURRY TO DECIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i hope to see more tuff life real picture ( Photo)of nepali workers in the gulf reason to help from bad brokers.
thanks